Alpha GPC shows enormous potential as a cognition-enhancing substance, particularly for those with dementia and other cognitive challenges, through its action on acetylcholine and other neurotransmitters.
It also shows promise as a therapy in several other areas, including physical performance and offsetting the damage of radiation therapy.
Read on to learn why Alpha GPC is a nifty tool in optimizing cognitive performance.
The Alpha GPC I take
Alpha GPC boosts cognitive performance
Alpha GPC meaningfully improved most neuropsychological symptoms in adults with Alzheimer’s disease. (R)
Three months of treatment with Alpha GPC relieved symptoms in adults with mild to moderate vascular dementia. (R)
Alpha GPC enhanced memory and cognitive function in Alzheimer’s and stroke patients. (R)
In a study of over 2,000 stroke and ischemic heart attack patients, Alpha GPC boosted cognitive performance and reduced the physical symptoms of stroke (R).
Alpha GPC improved learning and memory in rats. (R)
Alpha GPC cured amnesia in rats and was noted to increase acetylcholine synthesis in the hippocampus. (R)
A similar study likewise found success with Alpha GPC, with benefits lasting 30 hours after dosing. (R)
Mice treated with Alpha GPC for three weeks after a seizure experienced fewer dead neurons, saw an increase in new neurons, and had less disruption in the blood-brain barrier. (R)
A mixture of Alpha GPC and the nootropic aniracetam was found to be effective for Alzheimer’s, ADD, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, vascular dementia, post-stroke aphasia, anxiety disorders, cerebral atrophy, alcoholism, Down syndrome, dyslexia, and other neurodegenerative conditions. (R)
Alpha GPC and physical performance
Treatment with Alpha GPC for six days boosted isometric strength compared to placebo. (R)
Alpha GPC improved some narrow parameters of physical performance in college-aged men – specifically, the countermovement jump. (R)
Alpha GPC protects against radiation
Rats treated with Alpha GPC were protected from cellular damage and cognitive decline when exposed to radiation, leaving researchers hopeful that it may ameliorate the side effects of treating brain cancer with radiation. (R)
In zebrafish embryos, treatment with Alpha GPC reduced radiation-related lethality and morphological changes and blunted the pro-inflammatory response. (R)
Alpha GPC and ischemia
Rats with liver ischemia – a condition in which blood flow to the affected organ is restricted – were protected from typical vascular harm with Alpha GPC treatment. (R)
Rats with liver ischemia benefited from Alpha GPC in many ways: fewer reactive oxygen species (ROS) were produced, and activities of inflammatory enzymes were reduced. Alpha GPC effectively preserved mitochondrial respiration and reduced oxidative stress post-ischemic episode. (R)
Rodents undergoing ischemia reperfusion, in which tissue damage occurs as blood flow returns to a previously restricted tissue, saw less circulatory harm and were protected from increased free radicals with Alpha GPC treatment. (R)
Alpha GPC’s neurosupportive effects explained
Alpha GPC increased dopamine and serotonin in the brains of rats (R)
Alpha GPC apparently increases GABA release via the noradrinergic system (R).
Alpha GPC’s neural benefits also include increasing levels of the neurotransmitter glutamate in the brain. (R)
Alpha GPC increases choline availability for acetylcholine production, and as such may be a useful therapy in low-acetylcholine conditions, including aging. (R)
According to Why Isn’t My Brain Working? author Datis Karrazian, Alpha GPC’s benefits are due to its boosting acetylcholine levels, promoting dilation of vessels via endothelial nitric oxide (eNOS), and bolstering synaptic activity via neuronal nitric oxide (nNOS).
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